Friday, April 12, 2013

French Toast CookiesI won't hide it . . . I've become a little hooked on Pinterest. It's kind of an obsession, a much more dangerous form of procrastination than Facebook (if you can believe it). I've picked up a few great recipes and a few duds - but more often than not, I find some great ideas that need a bit a tweaking. I happened upon a recipe for French Toast Sugar Cookies . . . intriguing, right? The idea was flawless . . . but for some reason the flavors were a bit bland and the cookies came out with too thin a spread. I did a few modifications to the recipe and came up with a tender, sweet/salty treat worth trying. (My students loved them, by the way!)

In a large bowl, cream together 1/2 c. (1 stick) butter with sugar with an electric mixer. When it becomes smooth a creamy, add 2 tsp. vanilla paste and egg. Beat together on high until light and fluffy. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Working in batches, add dry ingredients to butter and sugar mixture, alternating with sour cream. Add ingredients in two batches each, making sure ingredients are thoroughly incorporated after each addition.

Once the dough is completely incorporated, wrap in plastic and let rest in refrigerator for 30 or overnight.

When the dough is ready, preheat oven to 370˚ F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat. Set aside. Remove dough from refrigerator, cut into 4 equal portions, and roll each portion out on a floured surface to 1/4" thick. Roll dough into a rectangular shape and slice into relatively equally sized pieces. Place pieces, in batches, onto parchment-lined baking sheet. Working in batches, bake cookies, for 8-10 minutes, until the cookies are barely browned around the edges. Remove form baking sheet, and allow to cool completely before frosting.

While the cookies are cooling, prepare icing. In a large bowl, cream together remaining butter and vanilla paste until smooth and creamy. Slowly add powdered sugar until the mixture is a bit crumbly. Slowly add cream, a tablespoon at a time, whip together with butter and sugar mixture until it becomes creamy and spreadable. Add maple extract and whip together until thoroughly combined. Frost each cooled cookie with a appropriate amount of maple icing. Enjoy!